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The role of women in the fur trade
Different roles of the fur trade
Aboriginal perspective on the fur trade essay
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The fur trade was one of the most defined time periods in Canadian history due to its economic and socioeconomic change amongst the European-Canadian settlers and the Aboriginal peoples. While it tends to be overlooked, the success of the fur trade can largely be credited to the role that women played. This paper will focus on the impact of the involvement of women in the fur trade. While the main role of women was trading and bartering goods, this paper will also explore how traditions, such as marriage, were strongly affected by women during the fur trade. This paper will also be comparing how the socioeconomic relations of the fur trade were impacted by the marriages of Indigenous women to European men and how in the eyes of the fur trade, …show more content…
this was seen as a highly beneficial partnership. The role of women in the fur trade through marriages and gender roles, was one of the main driving forces that led to the rich success of the fur trade in Canada. The fur trade in Canada had been ongoing for thousands of years among the First Nations before the Europeans even arrived. From the start of the fur trade with the European colonists in Canada in the early 17th century, the country was driven by the seismic economic and commercial benefits that the colonists and Aboriginals reaped from the wealth of the fur trade.While the true Canadian fur trade began with the Aboriginal people, for the purpose of this paper, the trade will be analyzed from the time period where European colonists had a leading role in the trade. The fur trade took place across Canada from the early 1600’s to the mid-1850’s. Throughout that time the Hudson’s Bay Company and The Northwest Company were born which eventually become solely the Hudson’s Bay Company. The fur trade in Canada provided a middle ground for Aboriginal-European negotiations and relations. The fur trade was a time period not only of great socioeconomic transformation and benefits, but also of a shift in gender roles. Women of both European and Aboriginal descent played various roles in order to further the benefits of the trade. With the men gone for long periods of time, the women had to take part in trading and production of goods themselves. Both Aboriginal and European women began to foster trading bonds with men that traditionally had never been done. This was done through various labour productions by women of goods such as maple-sugar, mats, and various articles of clothing required for the traders. The division of labour that the fur trade created amongst the men and the women helped to break down stereotypical gender norms of the time period, everything was done in order to benefit a bigger entity as opposed to a single person. An example of the women’s involvement that highly benefitted the trade was with the Ojibwa women. The Ojibwa women were heavily involved with the transportation that was required during the trade. These Aboriginal women would build canoes and pilot them to various trading posts. Peter Ogden Skene was a Catholic explorer who was heavily involved with the Canadian fur trade. Born in 1790, Skene was a reputable fur trader who is most noted for his violent nature and cruel treatment of the First Nations people. Skene’s first-person account of the interaction of the First Nations people outlines how the women were often left with roles that superseded that of the men. While at a First Nations trading camp, Skene wrote; Everywhere, I may here remark, only women were visible in active employment; for upon them the whole duty of the camp devolved, even to the " hewing" of wood and drawing of water. Skene’s account emphasises that the work these women were doing was traditionally done by men, however the only way to keep up with the rapid changes of the trade was to utilize the women to fullest extent.
Women’s roles in the trade were also seen as the perpetual push-and- pull factor theory that was the driving force that got men involved in the fur trade in the first place. The push factor is implying that the men felt pushed to escape their badgering wives and head out into the wilderness. The pull factor implies the draw that the men would feel to go off to the trade in an attempt to hopefully meet a beautiful Indian girl and have total independence. The concept behind the push-and-pull factor shows the perception of how women’s gender roles were a driving factor behind the men’s involvement in the fur trade. Although women were seen with increased responsibility and held higher positions of power during the fur trade, the push-and-pull theory outlines how the stereotypical gender roles of women were still very much in tact even though gender roles were evolving. The women were either seen as sexual objects, or are a nag that their husbands wish to escape either for sexual or economic …show more content…
opportunities. The role of women in the fur trade went much further than just the making, trading, bartering of goods and running the camps.
It was during the fur trade that the phenomenon of strategic intermarriage between Aboriginal women and European men took rise. These marriages were referred to as marriage à la façon du pays, translated meaning “according to the custom of the country” and were seen as the foundation of fur trade societies. The Aboriginal women are seen as playing a much more active role in the fur trade with their marriages to European men. These marriages were seen as quintessential to the fur trade process because the women were seen as cultural mediators and “negotiators of change.” These marriages were not simply for sexual gratification, they allowed for the beneficial joining of the two cultures, the European men gained access to the First Nations trade routes and furs as well as gaining an advantage over men who were not married to an Indigenous woman. If the man married the daughter of the Chief of the band, he would be gaining a powerful ally as well extending kin ties. The daughter would benefit with economic stability, authority, and would have an increased involvement in fur trade society. These marriages were advantageous to both the man and the woman, the man gained access to the furs and trading routes that were traditional to the First Nations community, and the woman gained social status and power within the community. Once the couple was wed, the
First Nations wanted to integrate the European man into their society with their native kinship ties and spirituality. When these marriages first began occurring, they were very much angled towards the First Nations with the marriage rituals and dowry to be paid to the Band, however, as the fur trade progressed, the marriages became dominated by the Europeans in an attempt to assimilate the native culture. Ogden Skene provided another first-account of the intermarriage between an Aboriginal woman and a European man. The following passage, as written by Skene, outlines his viewpoint on the marriage; The father of these young- men, for they were brothers, was an Indian of the Rocky Mountain Secanny tribe, who had married a woman of the Nataotins…The parents of his wife had long- since paid the debt of nature, and now the only tie which had bound the man to these strange lands, was dissolved by the death of his partner, which had taken place some months previous to the present rencontre. Skene describes the marriage of the man and the woman as the man being tied to the lands, with her death he is no longer tied to these lands. Skene’s first account of the marriage between the two depicts it to be nothing more than an advantageous fur trade union. As depicted by Skene, after the passing of his wife, the man no longer had any connection to the Indians or the land, regardless of having sons with his late wife. These marriages, while being economically beneficial to the fur trade societies, also provided for the linking of cultural heritage and the breaking down of racial boundaries that had divided the country prior. The fur trade was a time of great socioeconomic changes within Canada. The impact that the fur trade had on the country would shape Canada into the country that it is today. While the history of women in Canadian society tends to be less documented, the rich history of the involvement of women in the fur trade outlines how the rapidly changing country was adapting to realize the benefits of the involvement of women and gender roles being seen as more important than they had before. The involvement of women, both individually and within the intermarriages, was a major driving factor that pushed the fur trade to be the economic triumph that we still see in everyday society with the success of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The fur trade was ultimately a time period where two very different groups of people with differing cultures, backgrounds, religions, and ideologies about the best way to run the trade came together in cooperation in order to reap the greatest economic benefits for all.
Upper Canada was in the tumultuous process of settlement during the nineteenth century. From 1800-1860, wheat and flour exports went from a negligible amount to peak at 13 billion bushels in 1860.1 It is important to understand the rapid nature of settlement to contextualize life in rural Upper Canada. From 1805-1840, the population increased by over eight hundred percent.2 Many of these were Irish emigrants, even in the period preceding the famine; these pre-Famine Irish emigrants were predominantly “middling farmers,” «c'est à dire des fermiers cultivant des terres petites ou moyennes, ceux qui ont été le plus durement touchés par la baisse soudaine des prix des produits agricoles à la fin des guerres napoléoniennes [en Europe]».3 Many of the emigrants settled into townships and villages on the agricultural frontier, such as the Biddul...
Marquise Lepage’s documentary, Martha of the North (2009) provides an insight to the 1953 forced relocation of the Inuit from Northern Quebec to the High Arctic. It does an exceptional job at explaining how the Inuit’s lives were affected and molded at a holistic perspective. Martha of the North (2009) can be explained through the concept of holism and its limitations. The concept of holism can explain the effects that the relocations has had on the Inuit people. Although the Inuit’s behaviour can be analyzed through the concept there are aspects of their experience that holism does not account for. The documentary follows the life of one of the first Inuit to be relocated, a woman named Martha, along with her family and the people in her community.
Beginning in the mid sixteenth century, French explorers were able to establish a powerful and lasting presence in what is now the Northern United States and Canada. The explorers placed much emphasis on searching and colonizing the area surrounding the St. Lawrence River “which gave access to the Great Lakes and the heart of the continent”(Microsoft p?). They began exploring the area around 1540 and had early interactions with many of the Natives, which made communication easier for both peoples when the French returned nearly fifty years later. The French brought a new European desire for fur with them to America when they returned and began to trade with the Indians for furs in order to supply the European demands. The Natives and the French were required to interact with each other in order to make these trades possible, and, over time, the two groups developed a lasting alliance. However, the French began to face strong competition in the fur trading industry, which caused many problems between different European nations and different native tribes. Therefore, the trading of fur allowed early seven- teenth century French explorers to establish peaceful relations with the Natives, however, com- petitive trading also incited much quarreling between competing colonies and Indian tribes.
The French offered protection from neighboring enemies while the Indigenous people offered resources such as fur trade, and education of European settlers on how to use the land. In creating this mutual alliance, the differences between the two cultures of people led to a natural formation of gender and power relationships. To better understand the meaning of these gender and power relationships, we can look at Joan Scott’s definition. Scotts states that “Gender is a constitutive element of social relationships based on perceived differences between the sexes and gender is a primary way of signifying relationships of power (SCOTT, 1067).” By incorporating these two ideas from Scott, we can better understand the different perceptions of social relationships between the French and the Indigenous people and how the misunderstood conflicts created a hierarchy and struggle for
The contrast between the two groups of women was tremendous. Haudenosaunee women held prominent, decision-making positions in their matriarchal political system. They had the power to choose their clan’s chief, and their authority as clan mothers was respected by Haudenosaunee law. Spiritually, these women were viewed as being connected to Mother Earth and were responsible for leading various religious ceremonies, alongside of men. Haudenosaunee women also shared agricultural work with men, dealing with the work load on a communal basis. Not only did they have control of their own property, but women also had authority over their own bodies, including the responsibility of childbearing. This authority was developed in the Haudenosaunee matriarchal system of family in which children were considered members of the mother’s clan and husbands were brought into the wife’s longhouse upon marriage. Women had final domestic control; violence against women and children was not tolerated because wives had the power to kick their husbands out, ordering them to “pick up [their] blanket and budge” (Wagner, p. 47).
Winona Wheeler’s essay, “Cree Intellectual Traditions in History” analyzes the oral history of First Nations Elders. She specifically questions the identities of the Elders telling their story and how they have attained the stories that they are telling. Wheeler’s thesis is that the Elders are not mere storages of knowledge, they are humans. And as the days go on, few of them remain which makes it even more relevant to take in what they have and pass it on to the newer generations.
(“Métis Culture” para 14). “The Métis had a unique presence in art, music, dances, and storytelling.” (para 7). Their culture was very loud because of all the celebrations and music festivals they had (para 9). Music was a huge part in the culture that was called Red River Jig and it is still known through Canada today (para 10). Woman were talented in their artistic skill so they would make different paintings and sculptures to sell (para 11). They were also known for the beads and jewelry they had on many of the things they wore (para 9). A big part of the culture was their language that was called Michif and was a combination between French nouns and Cree verbs (para
However, Brown claims on how gender roles and identities shaped the perceptions and interactions of both English settlers and the Native American civilizations. Both Indian and English societies have critical social orders between males and females. In addition, their culture difference reflexes to the English and Indian males and females’ culpabilities as well. However, the Indian people put too much responsibility to their women. Women were in charge as agriculturalists, producers and customers of vital household goods and implements. They were also in control for providing much of the material culture of daily needs such as clothing, domestic gears and furnishings like baskets, bedding and household building. Native American females were expected to do a range of tasks. On the other hand, the Indian men only cleared new planting ground and constantly left the villages to fish and hunt. Clearly, Native Indian women had more tasks than the men did. Therefore, Indian males’ social and work roles became distinctive from females’ at the moment of the huskanaw (a rite of passage by which Virginia Indian boys became men) and reminded so until the men were too old to hunt or go to war. English commentator named George Percy underlines, “The men take their pleasure in hunting and their wares, which they are in continually”. “On the other hand the women were heavily burdened with”, says other commentator, John Smith. Gender is directly referential in an important sense, describing how sexual division was understood in the social order. Consequently, Native American people prescribed the gender social practice that women should be loaded with range of liabilities than the
Steckley, J., & Cummins, B. D. (2008). Full circle: Canada's First Nations (2nd ed.). Toronto:
Fur trading started between the Europeans along with the Aboriginals when the most valuable beaver pelts was a substituted for metal and clothing goods such as iron knives and axis, copper kettles, blankets and trinkets. The beaver pelts were well desired by the Europeans for the reason that using this fur for headgear provided an elegant way to keep dry. However these pelts were for fashion, as men and women could be instantly noted within the social hierarchy by according to their beaver hats. It was so valuable that the sand on the floor was filtered to save every hair that has fallen off. For the Europeans, captivating advantages of the rich furs from the Indians in the New World was a major factor in generating handsome profits, and there is no other pelt exchanging business enterprise like the Hudson's Bay Company. It is the oldest venture of Canada and it inspired many by its domination in the fur trading industry during its early years. They equipped their own armies, minted its own coins and even issued its own medals. The company had controlled fully one-third of present-day Canadian territory and were thought by many as a kingdom by itself in the fur industry. They had trading posts from the very north Arctic Ocean to Hawaii and as far south as San Francisco. HBC's revenue didn't generate simply from this one way trade in furs to Europe; it also consists of large amounts of European goods to North America. These goods incorporated many other products that local people cannot construct such as gunpowder, bullets, weapons, tobacco, kettles, pots, beads, fishing hooks, needles, scissors, and so much more. The Hudson's Bay Company showed a great measure of success since its formation, but it didn't come without s...
Until the 16th century, Aboriginal people were the only inhabitants of what is now Canada, hence, they were an independent and self-governing people till the Europeans had the capacity to dominate Canada's original inhabitants and possessors (Elias 1). The European Invasion brought about The 1876 Indian Act, which was developed over time through separate pieces of colonial legislation regarding Aboriginal peoples across Canada such as the Gradual Civilization Act of 1857 and the Gradual Enfranchisement Act of 1869. In 1876, these acts were consolidated as the Indian Act (Hanson). This essay aims to explain how the Indian Act tried to destroy the Aboriginal culture through residential schools and unequal recognition of women, successive acts,
This paper addresses the results of interviews, observations, and research of life in the Ottawa tribe, how they see themselves and others in society and in the tribe. I mainly focused on The Little River Band of Ottawa Indian tribe. I researched their languages, pecking order, and interviewed to discover the rituals, and traditions that they believe in. In this essay I revealed how they see themselves in society. How they see other people, how they see each other, what their values were, what a typical day was etc. I initially suspected that I would have got different responses from these questions but in reality the results in the questions were almost completely the same. I studied this topic because mostly all the people that are close to me are associated in the Ottawa tribe. I additionally love the Native American culture, I feel it is beautiful and has a free concept.
Aboriginal women had occupied an essential position in the fur trade of the North American region from its birth during the 17th and 18th centuries. Even though this is true, the role of women, especially those of the Native American society, has been ignored a great deal in the entire history of fur trade. Contrary to the belief that the whole fur trade activity was only male-dominated, it very much depended upon Native women and their participation and labor in order to ensure survival as well as economic success. This paper will attempt to illuminate how Native women played the role as important producers when it comes to fur trade of the American Plains and, of course, the Canadian region. This paper will also deal with the two important company's namely the North West and Hudson's Bay Company and tell how each functioned during the time of fur trade. The term “fur traders” is the term often used to described anyone who was interested in the traffic of furs. The traditional picture has been that of a male in buckskin shirt and a raccoon cap, dispensing alcohol and trinkets to gullible savages, in turn for the quality furs worth 10 times their value.
There is a belief that before European Contact Indigenous women had a huge role of leadership and responsibilities along with the men. After European Contact Indigenous women had very minimal rights. Men were considered their social, legal and political masters if you will. If a women had an argument or suggestion to discuss with the tribe or council she must discuss the issue through her husband, for her husband to later mention the issue. To this day this affects Indigenous women with trying to get their views back to what it once was. European contact resulted in Indigenous women not having the equality that they had before. Indigenous women are working hard with protesting and trying to win their equality
Prior to 15th century colonization, indigenous peoples of North America enjoyed a gender system that included not only women and men, but also a third gender known as Two-Spirit. In Native American culture, individuals who identified as Two-Spirit were revered by society and held important roles among tribes. In their article “The Way of the Two-Spirited Pe...